The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-29
The Incarnation.

The Incarnation proves that man is
worth saving. If man did not pos
sess worth in himself, God would
not have become man to effect his res
cue. II am not convinced of what
you say" replied man with whom
minister had been speaking; II am
not sure that I cannot answer every
one of your arguments; but one thing
I confess I cannot understand. 1t
puzzles me and makes me feel power
in what you say. 1t is why you
should care enough for me to take all
this trouble and to labor with me as if
you cared for my SOUL" No theory Of
the Incarnation may succeed in ex-
planning its mysteries. Every argu-
ment in its behalf may seem weak.
But the simple fact Of the Incarnation
proves, and to US proves completely,
the worth of the human soul, the
worth of human character, the worth
of man. Babyhood is holisr because
Christ was a baby. Motherhood is
nobler and sweeter because of Mary
was born the Son of God. Life is
richer because the Goldman lived.
Labor has lost its curse and meanness
because the divine hand touched the
plane. Social joy has become more
worthy because at the wedding He
wrought his first miracle. Compan-
ionship has become dearer because He
both loved and was loved. The low
est life suggests the depth of shame to
which any life may sink. The high
est life suggests the height of noble
ness to which any life may climb.
Christ points out to each man the
worth lying in his soul.
The Incarnation is also prophecy
of what man may become. The per-
feet life of Christ is type of the final
perfection of humanity. In every at
tempt to live perfect life appear two
difficulties. The one is the difficulty
of turning theory into practice. The
ories abound, but they are not trans
lated into conduct. They float above
the hard realities of every day life as
the hazy clouds of August float above
the landscape. The other difficulty is
the opposite of this: it is the difficulty
of basing practice on sound theory.
1t consists in fastening the eye upon
the work in hand and forgetting the
principle underlying and supporting
it. We bury the principle in the clay
of trivial circumstances. These two
difficulties stand on either side of any
attempt to live perfect life: the dam
ger of holding the principle so sacred
that it has no relation. to common life,
and the danger of crushing the princi-
pie beneath the load of frivolous de-
tails. But in the Incarnation the
principle and the deed are welded.
The principle does not float in dream
land far above the deed, nor does the
deed smother the power of the princi-
Pile. Christ was at once the prince of
theorists and of practice. Like the
sun in the sky, he stood at an immense
remoye from man, yet he was so close
to man that the light of his life pierced
the deepest darkness and its warmth
warmed the iciest heart. .
Christ's life is thus prophecy of
what your life may become. Though
human and tempted, il was perfect.
1t suggests the methods by which one
may realile the perfect life. True the
ory must be welded to righteous con-
duct. Thus may one attain to the per-
feet character. Thus should one press
forward toward the mark for the prize
of his high calllng-the character Of
Jesus Christ, the Goldman.
Rev. Charles r. TbaDing.